


Aligned

by evaunit0



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Future Fic, M/M, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-23
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2019-02-18 11:59:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13099635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evaunit0/pseuds/evaunit0
Summary: Keith couldn't seem to keep himself off the ledge, to stop himself from making leaps. | Written forSheith Quote Week Day 5:If it wasn’t for you, my life would have been a lot different / This one’s for you Shiro.





	Aligned

Keith had wandered out of the castle as soon as the sun had completely set, away to the ledge the ship was perched on, overlooking the shadowed valley of the planet that had welcomed them in victory.

They had just been in the biggest battle of their lives yesterday, and just hours ago they retired their paladin armor to showroom cases.

Maybe Keith should have savored it more, but in reality, it felt like he was rolling the earth off his back, and onto someone else's.

 _Let politicians take it from here_ , he told Pidge, and she laughed.

There was bowing involved when they landed, stepping off the Altean cruiser in their new official robes and garments. Even Lance was stunned into silence by his disbelief; the rest of them hurried to genuflect to the masses in return, trying to convey a sense of equality among them all. Hoping they understood they weren't heroes who wanted to rule.

Quietly, Keith was anxious the rest of his life would be like this.

He listened to his footfalls while walking away from the party inside the castle ballroom, knowing he was allowed to let down his guard. Someone else was keeping watch tonight.

It didn't help.

The thought didn't escape him until he heard another set of feet - a rhythm he had learned long ago, back when they were sneaking around late at night in the Garrison.

"Hey," Shiro said, and Keith had trouble swallowing for a minute. He always thought Shiro was handsome - perfect in a way that Keith couldn't unsee - but Altean finery suited him better than _anyone_.

Not that he'd say that to Allura or Coran's face.

"Hey," Keith hummed, but raised an eyebrow, eyeing the ornate cape clasp Coran had insisted on, and Shiro pushed his shoulder lightly.

"Spare me. Matt did his damage."

Grinning, Keith nodded back toward the castle. "Is everyone doing alright?"

"Wrecking the place as usual," Shiro laughed, nudging his foot against Keith's. "So why're we out here?"

It was because Keith _wanted_ it to be just them.

Because it had always been just them.

"It's quiet out here," Keith lied. "I like it."

Shiro took that as truth, turning around to fully take in the landscape, arms spread against the wind in content silence.

Keith had asked Lance about doing this - proposing once the universe was freed - but both of them were happy drunk in Lance's room when the topic was breached, sobering up while sitting on the floor against his bed, so Keith took it with a grain of salt.

_"I was gonna do something stupid like propose to Allura when this is all over, but if you want to get engaged to Shiro, I won't steal your thunder."_

_"Lance, I'm seriously in love with Shiro."_

_"Then you should do something about it before some hot alien does, dude."_

The grass was long - the wind stirred it around their feet, threading through their ankles, bringing Keith back to Shiro.

He was already looking at Keith, lopsided smile forming. "Is it too late to say 'we did it'?"

Keith laughed, breath coming easier in the cool of night. "I think it's the perfect timing, actually."

Shiro ruffled his hair, already mused by the wind, and Keith leaned easily into the touch, slipping an arm around Shiro's hips.

Keith wasn't one for philosophy - personal introspection was hard enough - but still, he had to ask.

"Would you change anything?"

Shiro glanced down at him before shaking his head slightly, expression nameless. "I don't know what I could possibly change that would lead me to this exact moment with you," Shiro said, pressing his mouth against Keith's temple, who sighed, resting his head on Shiro's chest. His heartbeat fueled Keith's peaceful dreams at night - his own personal metronome. Above all else, he was relieved Shiro took the question seriously. Sensing his apprehension, Shiro squeezed him tightly. "I wouldn't change saving the world with you, Keith. Don't think that."

"I just wonder how we'll adjust to a life outside of action," Keith mumbled, still pressed against Shiro's ribcage. Normally, he wouldn't address even trivial worries - not to anyone but Shiro - but this felt like a splinter under his nail. He had to talk about it _now_ , or it'd never be put to rest. Lifting his head enough to prop his chin on Shiro's muscle, Keith looked up at him, ignoring the blatant smile Shiro suppressed at the action, staring down at him.

His voice wasn't a whisper, but he doubted anyone a step away would be able to hear him. _I'm afraid you won't love me the same way that you did when all we had was each other in the middle of a war._ Keith miserably thought. He said, "Who are we without our wings, Shiro? We've never done anything else. We've never sat still."

There was quiet for a moment - a pause filled by the rustling of the plain, and the sound of ongoing cheers from inside the ship, carried half a mile away. Shiro's hand encircled Keith's before he spoke, pressing his thumb into the center of his palm. "Maybe someday I'll get used to a quieter life, but not a life without you, Keith," Shiro murmured, fingers eventually slipping between Keith's warmly. "I don't want to think about life without you ever again."

Without letting himself think, Keith spoke. "Then don't," He pulled away as gently as possible, sliding his hand up to Shiro's neck. Shiro moved his Galra hand to cover Keith's, worry faintly crossing his eyes. Keith felt the shake of his own leg as he kneeled, mind fuming over chaotic static, the grass parting around him, and Shiro looking down at him with wide eyes while Keith pulled the ring from inside his jacket.

It was silver, like he had dreamed it.

Keith didn't believe in rehearsals, and leapt in without preamble.

"I love you, Takashi. It's hard to think of a time before you, when I wasn't busy loving you. The most important things I've done in my life were because of you, and to think it's because you believed in me..." Keith took in a shaky breath, holding the ring between his fingers as steady as possible. "You're my best friend, Shiro. I don't want anything else but you and me. And I've wanted you for so long. I'll wait as long as you need, but I want to know before we start the rest of our lives: will you marry me?"

He got his best instincts from Shiro, anyway.

"Yes," Shiro breathed, and Keith exhaled, feeling the telltale hot streak of a tear shear his skin like a lathe.

He didn't have time to be embarrassed as Shiro fell to the ground in front of him, wrapping his arms around Keith in a death grip as he kissed him, senselessly moving his lips, laughing and sniffing in the same inhale.

"I didn't know you wanted-" Shiro began, but shook his head, pulling Keith into his lap. Their foreheads clinked, and Shiro grinned crazily, like Keith hadn't seen in years.

Not since before Kerberos.

"You're too worried about me to think about your own happiness," Keith said, attempting a laugh, but his runny nose made it a sob, and Shiro kissed him again, cupping his face. It was messy, and Keith pressed himself closer to Shiro, wanting to feel nothing but each other, perfectly aligned.

Keith watched Shiro's eyes sheen over, glimmering under the planet's pearlescent moons. Shiro's voice was as he had first heard it - full as him saying, _Hello, you must be Keith._

"I always knew it was you, baby."

**Author's Note:**

> all i want is that sweet kataang/korrasami ending where sheith are hugging and they pan up to a beautiful sunset like that's all i want @dreamworks pls hear me out i'm begging you
> 
> tumblr: paladinlion


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